Government summons top US diplomat over Oman ship attack that left 3 Indians missing

The government on Wednesday summoned US diplomat after a vessel, with Indian crew, was attacked off the Oman coast. Additional secretary (Americas) in the ministry of external affairs Nagaraj Naidu summoned Jason Meeks, Chargé d’Affaires of the United States to protest the attack on the ship. The move comes as India condemned the attack on the commercial vessel Settebello off the coast of Oman, which had 24 Indian crew members onboard. While 21 Indians have been rescued, 3 remain missing. India reiterated its call for de-escalation, protection of commercial shipping, and restoration of safe navigation in international waters, as reported by ANI.This came after MEA condemned the attack on the commercial vessel Settebello, saying that efforts were under way to locate three missing Indian crew members.The MEA said 21 of the 24 Indians on board had been rescued so far, while the Indian Embassy in Muscat was closely coordinating with Omani authorities as search and rescue operations continued. India also called for de-escalation in the region and urged the restoration of safe and unhindered navigation through international waterways.Read more: 3 Indians missing, 21 rescued after vessel attacked off Oman; MEA condemns incident"We condemn the attack on the commercial vessel Settebello off the coast of Oman, earlier today. Of the 24 Indian crew onboard, 21 Indians have been rescued thus far and 03 Indians are reportedly missing. Our Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities in the ongoing Search and Rescue operation," the MEA had said through a statement.The vessel involved was the Settebello, a Palau-flagged tanker carrying chemical and oil products. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), it reported an engine room fire while sailing about 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman's Sohar port.Meanwhile, US Centcom also talked about the attack on the ship saying it was trying to evade bloackade. "At 11:14 p.m. on June 9, U.S. forces disabled an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman for the second consecutive day after another vessel violated the ongoing blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran," said the US military. "US Central Command (CENTCOM) disabled Palau-flagged M/T Settebello as it transited the Gulf of Oman. A U.S. aircraft fired precision munitions into the ship’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces," it added.